A commemoration to Selena The Queen of Tejano

A Commemoration to Selena

Written by Randy Watson

Selena Quintanilla Perez or simply \”Selena\” was a Mexican American singer that was loved by a lot of people. Known as the \”Queen of Tejano\”, she was a recipient of various awards by popular award-giving bodies such as Grammy\’s and Tejano Music Awards. However, the life of this very talented and beloved artist was cut short by a very tragic incident. The president of her fan club and manager of her boutiques, Yolanda Saldivar, shot her after they discovered that the latter was stealing money from her. They decided to fire her and it caused the anger of Saldivar, pushing her to shoot the gun and kill Selena. Because of loss of blood, at age twenty-three, Selena died at the local hospital where she was transported.

This death of a very influential, famous artist saddened all of South Texas and Tejano Music fans everywhere. A lot of commemoration was given to her. In fact, Jennifer Lopez\’s career started thru her portrayal as Selena in the 1997 movie directed by Gregory Nava. Aside from this, a place in Corpus Christi was revealed to the public as a site wherein fans and loved ones could visit to commemorate Selena. This place is now known as a famous tourist spot called Mirador de la Flor.

This site costs over $600,000 and it became a famous tourist spot because of the fans that would visit this place. It was unveiled around the year 1997 and it seemed to be the perfect place to build this because it is only a few miles away from Seaside Memorial park where the remains of the young artist lies.

In this site, you can find a life-size statue of Selena wearing a black leather jacket with a microphone in its hand. It stands 5’8 and made out of bronze. A Corpus Christi artist named H.W. “Buddy” Tatum created this seemingly real statue. When you visit the place, you will find the statue leaning on one of its pillars. This statue could bring back tears to her adoring fans because it seems as if she was still alive.

Aside from that statue, the monument also contains a mosaic. The mosaic tiles contain images of white roses because it was Selena’s favorite flower. The mosaic can be found at the north side by the staircase that leads to the lower level and rear of the monument.

Lastly, on the same pillar wherein you can see the life-size statue of Selena, you will find a large white rose affixed to the pillar as well as a plaque honoring the artist. The plaque is facing the Shoreline Boulevard. The plaque contains a dedication to Selena stating that she was known as the La Flor (the Flower) and could be identified with the La Rosa Blanca (the White Rose) and that \”even if the stage is no longer filled with her presence, her music lives on\”.

In the year 2000, a four-foot stainless steel barrier was added to this facility. This was installed to protect the statue and pillar from the huge number of fans and supporters that inscribe message of love to the artist and her family.